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Pander
Although not truly a clan in the strictest sense of the word (as they have no progenitor from the Third Generation), the Panders have made much of the Sabbat's egalitarian society, carving a niche of respectability for themselves in spite of their bastard pedigree. Like the Caitiff -- which, for all practical purposes, they are -- the Panders have no formal, recognized lineage. Any vampire who joins the Sabbat and doesn't know what clan she is becomes a Pander, as do those childer Embraced by established Panders. The group consists of a wide variety of Cainites, most of whom are young and untested. It should be noted, however, that Panders are True Sabbat, not just a dumping ground for rejected or unproved vampires of other clans. The Panders arose in the aftermath of the most recent Sabbat civil war, during the late 1950's. A clanless vampire known as Joseph Pander united the clanless Sabbat under his own banner and led them against the Moderate faction at the behest of several key Lasombra and Tzimisce. Impressed with his efforts, the elders of the Sabbat rewarded the sect-loyal Panders with a formal recognition, which immediately touched off a powder keg of ill response from more "legitimate" clans. In the end, though, the Panders won out, earning recognition time and again, through bloodshed and diplomacy. Joseph Pander still exists in the modern nights, but rumors of assassination attempts spurred by disapproving elders run rampant through the Mutts' circles. Of course, the Panders are loose cannons and X-factors, the "rebels of a rebellious sect." Lasombra in the modern nights consider them threats to security, worrying that their lack of cohesion or millennia of tradition might make them unpredictable. The Panders understand their own position, though, and they accept their cannon-fodder role with resolve. Indeed, at any Sabbat Siege, the front line is most often composed of Panders out to prove themselves. As cunning as any Lasombra and as brutal as any Brujah antitribu, the Panders do what needs to be done for the good of the sect. Panders lack the sophistication and the years of formalization held by other clans; they truly are a motley bunch of rogues and thugs. Unlike some of the other clans, however, they have the Sabbat at heart, and their terrible escapades are often fronts for conquest "For the good of the Sword of Caine!" With the sect's good-faith gesture in recognizing the Panders, it has earned an ally for the entirety of its existence, but the Panders are still the low Cainites on the totem pole. The Mutts almost invariably draw the worst duties, the most dangerous missions and the riskiest of ritae, all because they're still the newest and least established. Those Panders who are aware enough, accept this "honor" as a badge of courage, while the dimmer ones simply do what they're told in hopes of getting to feed first from the pack's kills. It is this reason -- this devout and reckless drive to get the job done -- that had paid off for the Panders, and they have grown in number and power because of it. Nickname: Mutts Appearance: Most Panders are young (at least in terms of Cainite age), and they affect contemporary styles. Because of their rebellious natures and counterculture origins, many Panders wear styles adopted by "rebel" cultures -- biker leathers, punk mohawks, goth makeup, skinhead boots or gang colors. In fact, the Panders sometimes seem frozen in the mindset they held at the time of their Embrace, wearing styles for years, if not decades, out of mortal fashion. This is less likely a counter-fashion statement than it is a simple lack of awareness that times have changed. Many elders smirk at this, realizing that even the youngest of vampires becomes a static individual, much like themselves, who sometimes continue to wear the styles popular in their own mortal days. Haven: Panders often make their havens wherever the pack does, and they are frequently charged with the haven's maintenance if no ghoul exists to take care of it. Panders almost never maintain private havens, finding some security in being with the pack at all times. The Mutts also prefer havens with some connection to their lives before becoming vampires -- motorcycle mechanic shops, crackhouses, heroin dens, nightclubs and the like. Background: Panders generally Embrace from the low levels of society, recruiting from the miscreants and excitable rebels who make excellent fodder for the Sabbat's war efforts. A number of true psychotics and sociopaths have made their way into the Panders' ranks, but these individuals often die merciful deaths among the fires of the sieges. Still, the Panders are hardly a stable bloodline, populated by those too angry with society at large (for whatever reason) to become a useful part of it. Character Creation: Panders have violent or rebellious concepts, and they often possess strongly individualistic Natures (though there are a fair share of Conformists who simply want to belong). Demeanors can be literally anything. Physical Attributes, Talents and Skills are the most popular among the Panders, and few have much in the way of Backgrounds. Most Panders still cling to their Humanity, but a few of the more critical thinkers among the Mutts sometimes adopt the Path of Cathari or the Path of Honorable Accord. Clan Disciplines: None. Like non-Sabbat Caitiff, Panders may take any Discipline they want (subject to Storyteller approval). Additionally, Panders increase their Disciplines with adjusted experience costs, just as Caitiff do (see Vampire: The Masquerade page 143). Weaknesses: Panders have no inherent, blood-bestowed weakness. Note, however, that the Panders are given only grudging respect, and they generally get stuck with the Sabbat's shit work. Also, no Pander may begin the game at better than Ninth Generation (though they may increase this via diablerie or other means during the game). Organization:' The organization of the Panders depends largely on their pack. Some all-Panders packs have ganglike structures, or are organized like skinhead chapters. Others have no formal structure; they simply resemble gatherings of subcultures. When Panders become part of cosmopolitan packs, they often find themselves low in the ranks. Most Panders roughly acknowledge Joseph Pander, though many believe his time passed and that the bloodline should just get on with the business of being vampires. ' Quote: "I'm not interested in your holier-than-thou shtick. I have business to do, and if you're not with me, you're against me. And I break those who stand against me."